Understanding and Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect

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“Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul.”

-- Dave Pelzer, A Child Called "It"

Child abuse, the physical and/or emotional abuse of a child by a parent, guardian, or other person, is a major problem in the United States. Child abuse, including sexual abuse, beating, and murder have increased and it is believed that many cases go unreported. Another for of child abuse is child neglect, which includes malnutrition, desertion, and inadequate care for a child.

Efforts have increased on the primary prevention of child abuse. This must be started on many different levels before it can be successful. Prevention plans on a social level include increasing the economic self-sufficiency of families, preventing the birth of unwanted children, making health care more accessible, expanding and improving coordination of social services, improving the identification and treatment of psychological problems, and alcohol and drug abuse, and providing more affordable child care. Prevention plans on the family level include helping parents meet their basic needs, identifying problems of substance abuse and spousal abuse, and educating parents about child behavior, discipline, safety, and development. Primary prevention is to prevent the disease before it happens and reduce the chances of child abuse or negligence from happening.

Between 1995 and today child abuse cases have increased by more than fifty percent. More than thirty-five percent of which were confirmed. Each year one hundred and sixty thousand children are abused severely, even to life threatening extents. One thousand to two thousand children are killed resulting form child abuse. One of twenty murder victims is a child. Murder is the fourth leading cause of death in children from ages five to fourteen. The murder of a baby within the first twenty-four hours of life, Neonaticide, accounts for forty-five percent of children’s death.

Most child abuse occurs in the home and is started by someone who is known and trusted by the child. Abuse in day care center and foster car settings are only a small part of confirmed cases, but are more widely publicized. In a household where spousal abuse takes place, child abuse is fifteen percent more likely to occur also. Children are three times more likely to be abused by father rather than mot...

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...education

Number of children

-Identify families with problems of:

Substance abuse

Domestic Violence

Mental health

-Offer new parents

Services of a social worker

Long-term home visitation

Parenting classes

-Educate new parents regarding

Developmental tasks of children

Age-appropriate anticipatory guidance

Nutrition and feeding problems

Safety

Discipline

-Discourage corporal punishment

-Survey parents to identity health issues that are of interest to them

-Support universal health care for children

-Advocate for community respite care for parents

-Advocate for community alcohol and drug treatment, mental health, and spouse and child abuse centers.

Child abuse is a complex problem with many causes, it is important that people do not take a negative attitude toward its prevention. Although the absence of strong evidence to guide preventive efforts, society can do things to try to prevent abuse. Showing concern for the parents or care givers and increasing attempts to enhance their skills as parents or care givers may be able to help save our most vulnerable people, the children, from the nightmare of abuse and neglect.

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